Memory loss is a common neurodegenerative condition that comes with aging. It is especially so for patients diagnosed with dementia, which is a set of signs and symptoms affecting the cognitive functions of memory. One such example of, dementia is Alzheimer's diseases. Approved drugs are used on patients with Alzheimer's diseases but they do not cure or prevent the symptoms. Therefore, alternative interventions are called for to treat the memory loss of the patients.
Trans-cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one such alternative intervention. It is a neuromodulatory method that delivers low-intensity, direct current to cortical areas facilitating or inhibiting spontaneous neuronal activity. However, since tDCS elicits after-effects lasting for up to an hour, it may in some instances cause unnecessary side-effects to the cognitive functions of the subject.
With the existing techniques and tools, it is difficult to provide a personalized memory training system that meets the needs of the subject. Each subject has a different degree of affected memory functions, i.e., a patient of dementia may exhibit two or more dementing processes at the same time.
It is also possible for a subject to advance in the dementing processes at a different rate, making it difficult to provide an objective assessment of the cognitive functions of memory. An objective cognitive assessment will be helpful to provide a personalized training program to aid in the training of the cognitive functions of a subject.
A need therefore exists to provide an objective cognitive assessment which can be used to provide a personalized memory training program.